Automatic stcking mechanism



I. A. CAREY. AUTOMATIC STOKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3| 1919.

Patented June 22 '1920.

vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. CAREY,.OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T STANDARD STOKER COMPANY, INC., 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

AUTOMATIC STOKING MECHANISM.

Speciicatoir of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1920.

Application led April 3, 1919. Serial No. 287,279.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthat I, JAMES A. CAREY, va citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New .York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inv Automatic Stoking Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in Ameans for reducing by pressure lumps of coal to or below a given size while advancing the same, and its object is to increase the efficiency of that type of such a means as is shown in the patent to David T. Williams, No. 1,152,682 by eliminating the excessive downward pressure of the fuel overlying the region where the crushing or reducing is taking place and the consequent undue resistance to the fuel advancing screw or equivalent.

My invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a fuel-reducing means (the particular t pe shown bein that illustrated in the said Williams patent having my improvement; and

. Figs.' 2, 3 and 4 are a plan, an elevation viewed from the rear and a side elevationof a structure directly embodying the salient features of my invention.

a designates the forward part ofthe trough at the bottom of the bunker of a locomotive tender or other container for the mass of fuel; b the front wall of such trough, the same being cut away at vc to form an opening through which the coal may be advanced and thenceconveyed by any suitable means to and distributed over the locomotive furnace` and grate; and d a rotary screw extending longitudinally of and over the bottom of the trough and preferably into said opening and adapted to be rotated by some suitable means (not shown). y

e is a plate which is bolted flat against the inside of the front wall b of the trough, having an opening f to register with the opening c. This plate has the rearwardly projecting spurs or lugs g which are illustrated in the said .Williams patent and therein described as acting partly to split or cleave the lumps of coal which are too large to be forced by the screw through the openings without reduction and partly to Abovethe spurs or lugs g I provide on the plate, also projecting rearwardly, the studs or prongs L. These are appreciably longer and are preferably somewhat stockier or thicker than the spurs or lugs g, and in tliebest form taper from their bases toward their free ends, withl a somewhat sharper taper at their extremities, being polygonal in cross-section and presenting each arather sharp edge at the under side' adjoining the screw; they are arranged in the adaptation illustrated in an arch substantially concentric with the axis of the screw. Between the spurs or lugs g and these studs or prongs it are arranged on the plate other studs or prongs i' somewhat longer than the former but shorter than the latter and preferably arranged in staggered relation to the studs or prongs z'.

Now when the bunker is well illed with coal the studs or prongs it, by forming a kind of shelf or ledge for the mass' of coal above it yand next to the forward support for the coal formed by the wall b and plate e, prevent the weight of this portion of the coal from causing an undue packing of the coal in, the region wherev the fixed abutment (formed by the plate and its studs y) and the moving abutment (formed by the screw) are effecting the reduction of the unduly large lumps, whereby not only is the possibility of jamming reduced but a considerable part of the resistance otherwise imposed on. the motor for driving the screw eliminated. By comprising spaced members L this shelf or ledge has more specilically the character, as it were, of a grate, the spaces between the studs or prongs not only permitting' the smaller fragments of coal to work down through but a certain amount of upward yield in the mass of coal beneath the shelf or grate, thus further to avoid packing inthe region where the reducing is going on. It is not essential that the studs or prongs be shaped as herein described, though the shape specified I have so far found preferable in actual practice ofthe invention.

The studs or prongs 2' are not indispensable. But vI prefer to employ them for this reason: The studs or prongs h, it will usually be found, should be spaced a certain distance from the screw so that flow of coal may take place towardthe opening c between them and the screw, and with the studs or prongs 2'- or their equivalents present, the coal is prevented from becoming pocketed between the studs or prongs L and the spurs.

or lugs g. Being somewhat longer than the spurs or lugs g, and also sharpened, they prevent the larger lumps from slipping upwardly out of the influence of the screw and said spurs or lugs, and also act directly more or less in the actual reducing of the fuel.

It will be understood that the level of the coal is considerably higher than is shown in Fig. l when the bunker is full, z'. e, when the downward pressure of the fuel at the point where the reducing takes places is suiiicient to be taken into account and that to support the mass of fuel above the front wall of the trough removable planking and gates, shown in the Williams patent but not appearing herein, or their equivalents are usually employed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In combination, means to advance fuel from the bottom of a fuel mass in a substantially horizontal course, and abutment means for the fuel arran ed over and spaced from the first means an relatively forward of the fuel, said means including projections eX- tending rearwardly and arranged at different elevations and each upper projection eX- tending-farther rearward than those below it.

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature April lst, 1919. v JAMES A. CAREY. 

